Recording apparatus



R. S. ONEIL.

RECORDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. II, I917.

1,345,62 Patent ed July 6, 1920.

6 SHEETS-SHEET I.

R. S. ONEIL.

RECORDING APPARATUS;

' APPLICATION FILED APR-1|, I91].

Patented July 6,1920.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

R. S. ONEIL. RECORDING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FHJED APR.H,1917.

Patented July 6, 1920.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Ill)- R S. ONEIL. RECORDING APPARATUS.

' APPLICATION FILED APRJI. 1917 Patented July 6, 1920;

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4- R-.. s. O NEIL.. RECORDING APPARATUS. RPPHCATION FILED APR. H 1917.

Patented J 11 1920.

.GSHEET ET 5..v

R. S. 0N E|L. I RECORD-ING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.1I| 1917.

Patented July 6, 1920.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RoDoLPns'rUAR'r ONEIVL, or LONDON, ENGLAND.

nnconniive APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6,1920.

Application filed April 11, 1917. Serial No. 161,366.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, RoooLrH STUAn'r ONniL, a subject of the King of Great Britam, and a resident of London, England,

have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Recording Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to anew or 1mproved device for recording the position of an engine telegraph and other data at any given time, and has particular reference to apparatus for recording the movements of ships telegraphs by means of which instructions from the'bridge are transmitted to the engine room, but it will be appreciated that the invention will be equally applicable in any case where instructions are transmitted to engine drivers by means of telegraph apparatus. The invention has reference to recording devices wherein electrically operated pencils or the like are caused to, trace lines upon a chart driven by clockwork and thus give a record of the orders transmitted. Hitherto such devices have usually been arranged so that the recorder was only brought into action by a switch or commutator at the time the order was transmitted. Moreover, the only prior suggestion for a recordingim strument of this type-where the record is obtained by lines traced upon a moving chartof which I am aware, was very incomplete, and there was no suggestion for 1 recording the direction of running and speed of the engine shaft so that such an instrument would not fulfil the primary object of my invention, which is not only to produce a record of the orders given but also arecord which will show how and when these orders were executed.

The only prior proposition with which I am acquainted, which provided for any record of the speed and direction of runningoif the engine, was of an entirely difi'erent nature, and was useless for the purpose of giving an indisputablerecord of the orders given and executed at any given time for the reason that the chart" was not a continuously moving chart but themovement of the chart was controlled by the giving of the order, and the record of the speed and direction of running of the engine was only recorded at specially desired times if a circuit was completed by means of a switch. Moreover in this case the orders given were-indicated upon the chart by means of certain In these drawings the recording apparatus with signs which were stamped upon it and the direction of running of the engines was proposed to be indicated by the direction in which the marks indicating the speed were sloping.

The vital distinction between my invention and these prior propositions is that in a clock, a number of magnetically operated recording pencils electrically associated with the telegraph instrument for recording, by

. means of lines drawn upon particular parts of the chart,,the orders transmitted, a pair of magnetically operated pencils electrically associated with the engine forrecording by means of lines drawn upon particular parts of the chart the direction of running, and a further magnetically operated pencil associated with the engine movement for recording by means of marks intermittently made upon the chart the engine speed.

In some cases I propose to include, in apparatus involving the foregoing combination means whereb the en ineer re eats the actual order received to the transmitting 1nstr'ument instead of merelyringing back as an indication that some order has been re ceived, and it should be noted that no claimv is made by me to this feature per se.

In order that the invention may be readily understood and carried into practice, reference is hereby made, to the accompany- 7 ing drawings in which is illustrated a practical embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of glass cover removed.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of Fig. 1

with cover in position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view the apparatus. 1 I

F ig; 4 is a diagram of the electrical con of a detail of neetions associated with the magnets for operating the recording pencils.

Fig. 5 is a diagram of the lamp circuit.

F 6 is a sectional view of a ships telegraph fitted in accordance with my invention.

Fig. '7 is a cross sectional view 01? Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a front elevational view showing the dial oi the telegraph instrument.

Fig. 9 is a view of the dial of the receiv ing instrument. 7

Fig. 10 is a view of the receiving instrument with dial removed.

Fig. 11 is a side view on a reduced scale of the outer casing of a telegraph arranged in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 12 is a side elevational view oi? part of the speed indicating device.

Fig. 13 is a plan view 01 Fig. 12.

Fig. 1st is a side elevational view, partly in section, of part oi a marine engine showing the application of a. detail of my invention.

Fig. 15 is a side elevational viewof parts of a. marine engine with a detail of my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 16 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of a detail of Fig. 15.

Fig. 17 is a View of the contacts provided for indicating the direction of rotation of the engines.

Fig. 18 is a. view showing a modified form of the contacts shown in Fig. 17.

Fig. 19 is a diagrammatic view showing one method by means of which a switch is closed when the engines are started.

Fig. 20 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an alternative method of closing a switch, and

Fig. 21 is a further diagram of electrical connections.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of these drawings, the numeral 1 designates a chart which is divided into columns corresponding with the indications of the telegraph instrument. This chart is carried by the driven rollers 2 and 3, guiding roller 41 and storage roller 5, the rollers 2 and 3 which are capable of rotation in the same direction at a predetermined speed being driven by means of the pinion G, and toothed wheels 7 and 8. The pinion 6 is rigidly secured to one end of the driving spindle 9 which is driven by means of suitable clockwork mechanism 10.

Suitably mounted on top of the framing of the recording apparatus are the tele graph order electro-magnets 11 and recording pencil holders 12, said holders being preferably so arranged that the pencils 13 are'maintained vertically over the axis of the roller 2. The pencils are normally held out of contact with the chart by means of the springs 14, but are arranged to come into contact with the surfacev of the chart immediately their respective electrical circuits are completed. These circuits are completed. at the telegraph instrument through contacts which are closed when the telegraph pointer coincides with or indicates a particular order.

To this end 1 provide on one side of the telegraph instrument a row of contacts 15 and a contact ring 16, and on the other side, contacts 15 and contact ring 16 arranged concentrically around the lixed shaft 17, see particularly l igs. 6 and 7. The lower half of the operating handle 18 is formed of two members 19, the bottom ends of which are pivotally mounted on the fixed shaft 17. On the side of each member 19 are mounted the two spring contacts 20 and 21 one above the other which register with the contact ring 16 and contacts 1.5 respectively.

Fixed to the shaft 17 between the members 11) are the plates provided with internal notches 23, and engaging with these notches are rollers 21 which are carried on the lower end of the spindle 25, the upper end of which is arranged to contact with a roller 26 mounted in the end. of the hand lever 27 which in turn is pivotally mounted at 28 in lugs formed. on the handle 18. Normally the rollers 24- are kept in engagement with one or another of the notches 23 by means of the spring 29, and when the lever 27 is pressed against the action of the spring 29 the rollers will be disengaged from the said notches and the handle 18 will be free to move according to which order it is de sired to transmit. Each one of the notches corresponds with a particular order and the contacts 15 are similarly arranged so that when the handle 18 is moved to transmit a particular order a circuit is completed which energizes the corresponding magnet on the recording instrument. For instance, if the telegraph indicates stand by the circuit through the magnet controlling the stand by pencil. will be closed and the pencil will make contact with the chart and will remain in. contact as long as the tele graph instrument indicates stand by. Movement of the telegraph handle to indicate slow-speed-ahead will immediately cause the standby magnet to become deenergized, so causing its pencil to lose contact with the chart, while the slow-speedahead pencil will at once make contact. It thus follows that lines will be drawn on certain columns of the chart corresponding to the particular orders given and also indicating the duration of the orders.

To make provision for the indication of the fact that the engines were running ahead or astern or were stationary at any given time, two columns are provided on the chart an d corresponding magnets 11 and 11 respectively, pencils 13 thereof, controlled not by the telegraph instru1nent.but by the movement set up by the engine and one or another of two contacts associated with the weigh shaft of the engine. This may be accomplished as follows :Fixed to the lower end of one of the engine standards 30, Fig. 15, is a small governor 31, driven by means of a suitable chain or other gearing 32 and a sprocket wheel 33 fixed to the end of the engine shaft. Associated with this governor are a pair of contacts 34 arranged side by side and a contact plate 35, which plate bridges the two contacts 34 so completing a circuit, when the governor is setin motion as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 16 of the drawings. In thesame circuit are the two contacts 36, contact 36 and a contact plate 37 attached to the weigh shaft of the engine in such a position that it contacts with the central contact 36 and one of the outer contacts 36 when the said weigh shaft is moved to set the engines for ahead or astern. This would result in one or other of the pencil operating magnet coils 38 becoming energized, provided that the engines were in motion and the contacts 34' and 35 closed, and accordingly one pencil will be caused to comeinto contact with the chart when the engine is running ahead and another when the engines are running aster-n, while neither magnet coil can be energized until the governor 31 is rotating.

In Fig. 18 I have shown a modified arrangement of contacts associated; with the weigh shaft of the engine, the contact plate 37 being formed with a bridge piece 39, pivoted at its center to the end of the said shaft. i

Instead of completing a circuit by means of the above mentioned governor device when the engines arerunning, I may -employ the engine vacuum pump or compressed air cylinder for effectingthis purpose as illustrated in Figs. 19 and 20 of the accompanying drawings. shown both these devices in series, but it will be appreciated that only one need actually beused in the circuit. Connected to the vacuum pump 40 by meansof a small pipe 41 is another cylinder 42 and connected to the piston rod of this cylinder is a plug44, which closed the contacts 43 so completing the circuit through the battery 43 when the piston of the vacuum pump 40 is on its suction stroke. For completing the circuit by means of the engine air compressor, the main cylinder 45 is similarly connected to an auxiliary cylinder 46, so that on the engines starting up and pressure being applied to the piston 47 the plug 44 will close the contacts 43 so completing the circuit for the purpose above mentioned. p v J i V For indicating the speed at which the en'- gines are running at any particular time I provide a ratchet arrangement associated In Fig. 21' I have some other continuously rocking lever in the manner illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13 of the drawings. The ratchet wheel 48 which is preferably provided with ten teeth is rigidly mounted on a sleeve 49 on one end of which is also rigidly mounted the insulating collar 50 carrying the contact strip 51, the said sleeve being loosely mounted on a pin 52 fixed to a convenient part of the en ine such as the standard or framework. ngaging with the ratchet wheel .48 is a spring pressed pawl 53 pivotally mounted on the lever 54, one end of which is bifurcated and mounted loosely on the sleeve 49, the other end being connected by means of levers 55 to therocking lever 56 which operates the air pump. By this means the ratchet wheel will be revolved one tenth of a revolution for each complete revolution of the engine shaft, and at each revolution of the ratchet wheel a circuit will'be completed owing to by reason of the clockwork mechanism, the revolutions per minute of the engine may be.

at once accuratelyv calculated 'over any period.

Ipropose to include inmy apparatus a time stamping device, used in conjunction with the recording chart, details of which are given in Fig. 3 of the drawings: The

device which is only to be regarded as claimed in combination with my recording device as a whole, consists of a casing 59 suitably mounted above, and in close proximity to, one end of the roller 2, the said casing being driven at the same peripheral speed as-the roller 2 bymeans of the clockwork mechanism 1O through the medium of asuitabletrain. of wheels 60.

Fixed to the inside of the casing 59 at equidistant spaces are flat springs 61, and secured to the free ends ofthese springs are the type'blocks 62 bearingthe numerals one to twelve corresponding to'the'hours of the day. s The said springs are also provided with knobs 63 which slide under the inclined end of the fixed stop 64, so causng the springs to be depressed in turn and the type blocks to project slightly through the openings 65, so making an impression on the chart corresponding to the'hour of the. day. I may also in some casesprovide for the illumination of the dials of the transmitting and receiving telegraph instruments, and for this purpose compartments 66 and 67 4 are arrangedon theinside of the said dials with the air-pump lever of the engine or corresponding to the number of orders printed on the dials. Each compartment 67 01 the receiving instrument in the engine room is provided with a pair of lamps (58 connected in parallel, the positive leads to the lamps being connected to contacts 15 (see Figs. 5 and (5), while the negative leads are taken to the dynamo (39 or other source of supply, and thence to the contact ring 16, through the switch 70. Arranged to slide over the contacts 15 and ring 16 aforesaid are the spring pressed contacts 71 and 72 attached to one of the lower members 19 ot the handle 18, and these contacts are con nected to contact springs 73 the bottom parts of which engage with a plug 74: when the spindle 25 is in its normal position. It will thus be seen that when the handle 18 is moved to transmit a particular order the springs 73 and pllilgi'l lbecome disengaged owing to the depression of the spindle 25, this having the effect of momentarily breaking the lamp circuit, but as soon as the lever 27 is released and the roller 24 allowed to register with that one of the notches 23 corresponding to the particular order it is required to transmit, the said springs and plug engage, so completing a circuit and causing the corresponding order to become illuminated on the engine room dial 8G and it will be appreciated that there will be neither recording nor illumination except when the rollers 24 are definitely engaged with one or other of the notches 23.

The depression of the lever 27 will also cause a bell to be rung in the receiving in strument owing to the contacts 75 in the transmitter closing and completing a cir cuit through the medium of the spring contacts 76 and semi-circular contact plates 77. It will be understood that when an order has been definitely given and the spindle is in its normal position the bell will cease ringing. The depression of the lever 27 also causes the circuit to the magnet coils 11 to be momentarily broken owing to the downward movement of the spindle 25 cansing the plug 78 to come out of engagement with the contact springs 7 9.

For repeating at the bridge or sending station the orders transmitted to the engine room the receiving instrument may be pro vided with a contact ring 80, contacts 81, and an operating handle, not shown in the drawings, similar to those in the transmitting instrument, and on receiving an order the engineer on moving the handle to correspond, completes a circuit. so causing a pair of lamps to be lighted in the compartment or compartments 66 in the transmitting instrument, so illuminating that particular part of the repeater dial plate 82 corresponding to the particular order given. The said repeater dial plate is wrapped around the periphery of the instrument as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the ahead orders being arranged toward the front and the astern orders toward the back of the instrument.

Lamps 83 are provided for the purpose of illuminating the outer dials 84 over which the pointers 85 move.

It will be ap )reciated that any desired number of recorders may be employed but in general it will not be found necessary to employ more than two, i. 6. one in the en gine room and one on the captains bridge. By this means the captain will be able to see, that the order transmitted was correctly received and understood by the engineers and the engineer will be able to see similarly what order was given at any time.

WVhat I claim and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is 1. A device for recording the position of an engine telegraph or analogous instrument and. other data at any given time co1nprising a continuously moving chart driven at a predetermined speed by means of a clock, a number of magnetically operated recording pencils electrically associated with the telegraph instrument and operating to record by means of lines traced upon particular parts of the chart the orders given, a pair of magnetically operated pencils electrically associated with the engine and colitrolled by the rotation of the engine and the position of the weigh shaft and operating to record by means of lines traced upon particular parts of the chart the direction of running of the engine, and a further magnetically operated pencil associated with a moving part of the engine for recording by means of marks intermittently made upon the chart the speed of running whereby a continuous and indisputable record of the orders given is obtained.

2. A device for recording the position of an engine telegraph or analogous instrument and other data at any given time comprising a chart continuously driven at a predetermined speed by means oil? a clock, a number of magnetically operated recording pencils or equivalent devices electrically associated with the telegraph instrument, means for causing the particular pencil corresponding to a particular order to come into contact with and trace a line upon a particular part of the chart when such order is given, a pair of magnetically operated pencils electrically associated with the engines and adapted to record the direction of running of the engines, means controlled. by the rotation of the engine and the position of the weigh shaft for completing a circuit through the magnet operating the particular pencil corresponding to the direction of running of the engine whereby said pencil comes into contact'with and traces a line upon a V particular part of the chart, and a further magnetically operated pencil adapted to come into contact with and make a mark upon the chart every time a predetermined number of revolutions of the engine shaft has been completed whereby a continuous and indisputable record of the orders given,

the period over which said orders stood, is obtained.

3. In the device for recording the position of an engine telegraph or analogous instrusition of an engine telegraph or analogous instrument and other data as set forthin claim 4, the provision of means at the receiving instrument for repeating the order received to the transmitting station, said meanscomprising lights at the transmitting instrument adapted to automatically illuminate that portion of the dial of the transmitting instrument corresponding to the order originally transmitted.

6. In the device for'recording the position of an englne telegraph or analogous instrument and other data asset forth in claim 1, means for automatically marking the continuously moving chart for recording predetermined intervals of time. I

7. In the device for recording the position of an engine telegraph or analogous instrument and other data asset forth in claim 1, spring pressed rollers adapted to engage in internal notches in fixed plates in the transmitting instrument substantially as specified.

8. In the device for recording the position of an engine telegraph or analogous instrument and other data as set forth in claim 1, a time stamping device comprising a hollow casing containing type blocks havingprojections which engage 'Wlth the inclined end of a fixed stop for the purpose specified.

9. In the device for recording the position of an engine telegraph or. analogous instrument and other data as set forth in claim 1, means for closing a circuit When the engine is running comprising a centrifugally operated device associated with the engine shaft having contacts arranged substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

RonoLPH STUART ONEIL. 

